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NEW YORK & LONG ISLAND COIGNET STONE COMPANY BUILDING

370 3rd Avenue William Field & Son
1872–73

This New York City individual landmark is the sole survivor of a factory complex that originally was five acres large and spanned from 3rd to 6th Streets along the Gowanus Canal. It was constructed as the showpiece, and served as the office, of the New York & Long Island Coignet Stone Company, one of the first companies in the United States to industrialize the production of concrete. Not surprisingly, it is the oldest known concrete structure in New York City. The building features a poured-in-place foundation and original pre-cast concrete stones and blocks on the upper stories. It is also likely that the floors are reinforced concrete. The company was named for François Coignet, who patented Beton Coignet Concrete in France in the 1850s, and produced the material at this location. Concrete was cast in molds and was much more affordable than chiseling natural stone. A large-scale modern supermarket project surrounding the building was approved in 2012.